RFU cuts Grimes ban to seven weeks

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SCOTLAND’S World Cup plans were given a boost yesterday by rugby officials in England. They reduced the ban they had imposed on Stuart Grimes, the 49-cap lock, allowing him to join the playing squad during the warm-up internationals to try to earn his place on the plane to Australia.

Grimes had originally been banned for ten weeks after being found guilty of butting an opponent during Newcastle’s narrow loss to Gloucester last month. He and the club appealed against the decision, and last night a hearing in Leeds backed him when they reduced the sentence to the minimum allowed by